Comments Off on New SubCAS technology enables scientists to better study deep-sea ecosystems

Scientists at the California Academy of Sciences have created a new device that can capture and transport deep-sea creatures to the ocean ‘s surface without harming them, allowing scientists to better study the deep sea and potentially discover new species. The Submersible Chamber for Ascending Specimens, or SubCAS, works by first capturing wildlife within a small collecting jar. Once the SubCAS and its diver have ascended to approximately 200 feet below the surface, the jar is then moved into a larger chamber, which is sealed after an air bubble is also inserted. This air bubble expands as the pressure drops, which keeps the pressure within the jar at a constant level consistent with that experienced in the deep-sea creatures’ habitats. Until recently, technological challenges limited our knowledge of the mesophotic, or “middle light,” zone. The mesophotic ecosystems begin to exist roughly at the depth beyond which traditional diving technology ceased to effectively protect divers. On the other hand, this zone is also too shallow to justify the use of technology typically used for deep sea exploration. In the past decade, diving technology has improved, and with it our understanding of this unique part of the ocean. Related: Researchers discover a completely new ocean zone swimming with new species “When we started doing these deep dives, seeing whole ecosystems nobody’s ever seen… I wanted to bring those to the public floor,” Senior Director of the California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium and co-inventor of the SubCAS Bart Shepherd told Earther . The team has successfully brought 89 percent of captured mesophotic animals to the surface, while 143 of these creatures have been transported from locations all over the world to the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco , where many of them are on display in the Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed exhibit. “We’re showing a million-plus people a year these things nobody else will have the opportunity to see, and [using] that as a way to have a [conversation] about coral reef decline,” said Shepherd. The team is currently gearing up for a 2019 mesophotic expedition in the Indian Ocean. “There’s really nobody that’s done deep exploration diving on reefs in the Indian Ocean,” said Shepard. “We think we’re gonna find a ton of new species.” Via Earther Images via California Academy of Sciences

Comments Off on Record-breaking paper water purifier operates at near 100% efficiency

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have created a highly efficient device that uses sunlight and black carbon-dipped paper to clean water . The paper is placed in a triangular arrangement, which enables it to vaporize and absorb water with nearly 100 percent efficiency. The simple, inexpensive technology could be deployed in regions where clean drinking water is chronically unavailable or areas that have been acutely affected by natural disasters. “Our technique is able to produce drinking water at a faster pace than is theoretically calculated under natural sunlight,” said lead researcher Qiaoqiang Gan in a statement . The solar still concept, which uses sunlight to purify water, is ancient; Aristotle described a similar technique more than 2,000 years ago. The difference is the new device’s ability to achieve ultra-high efficiency. “Usually, when solar energy is used to evaporate water, some of the energy is wasted as heat is lost to the surrounding environment,” Gan explained. “This makes the process less than 100 percent efficient. Our system has a way of drawing heat in from the surrounding environment, allowing us to achieve near-perfect efficiency.” The carbon -dipped paper’s sloped orientation is key in achieving this efficiency, allowing the bottom edges to soak up water while the outer coating absorbs solar heat to be used in evaporation. Related: This moss can naturally eliminate arsenic from water The research team prioritized simplicity and accessibility in its design. “Most groups working on solar evaporation technologies are trying to develop advanced materials, such as metallic plasmonic and carbon-based nanomaterials,” Gan said. “We focused on using extremely low-cost materials and were still able to realize record-breaking performance.” Through their recently launched start-up, Sunny Clean Water, the team hopes to increase access to their device for areas in need. “When you talk to government officials or nonprofits working in disaster zones, they want to know: ‘How much water can you generate every day?’ We have a strategy to boost daily performance,” said Haomin Song, an electrical engineering PhD graduate, in a statement . “With a solar still the size of a mini fridge, we estimate that we can generate 10 to 20 liters of clean water every single day.” + University at Buffalo Via Futurity Images via Huaxiu Chen and Douglas Levere/University at Buffalo

Comments Off on Floating solar rig from Columbia University harvests hydrogen fuel from seawater

Engineers at Columbia University have created a “solar fuels rig,” which floats on the ocean, captures solar energy, then uses that energy to extract hydrogen from seawater. Hydrogen is a clean source of energy, though methods to extract it have often proven too costly or energy intensive to be viable. A typical hydrogen extraction system uses water electrolysis, in which H2 and O2 are separated by sending an electric current through water and divided by a membrane, which is usually very delicate. The new floating solar rig does not use a membrane, which makes it resilient enough to deploy on the open ocean . The lack of a membrane is an important design feature that facilitates a more effective extraction system. “Being able to safely demonstrate a device that can perform electrolysis without a membrane brings us another step closer to making seawater electrolysis possible,” said Jack Davis, co-author of a scientific paper on the device published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy . “These solar fuels generators are essentially artificial photosynthesis systems, doing the same thing that plants do with photosynthesis, so our device may open up all kinds of opportunities to generate clean, renewable energy .” Related: Affordable new device uses solar energy to produce hydrogen and electricity Rather than incorporate a membrane, the device uses an asymmetrical mesh structure in which electrodes, coated with a catalyst on one side, collect bubbles of either hydrogen or oxygen. Once the bubbles are large enough, they are pulled into separate collection chambers. Although the team has yet to test its design on actual seawater, they feel confident in the process. “We are especially excited about the potential of solar fuels technologies because of the tremendous amount of solar energy that is available,” said Daniel Esposito, lead researcher on the project. “Our challenge is to find scalable and economical technologies that convert sunlight into a useful form of energy that can also be stored for times when the sun is not shining.” Via New Atlas Images via Jack Davis/Columbia University, Justin Bui/Columbia University and Daniel Esposito/Columbia University

Comments Off on 11-year-old boy invents device to save children from dying in hot cars

Children dying in overheated cars is one of those preventable tragedies that just shouldn’t happen, and an 11-year-old boy in Texas decided to do something about it. Bishop Curry heard about a six-month-old who died in his hometown after being left inside a hot vehicle. A few hours later he had come up with his initial design for Oasis, a cooling device he hopes will one day save lives. Oasis started as a design for a fan that could be placed on a headrest. When the interior temperature of a car reached a certain level, the fan would immediately switch on to blow cool air on a child in a car seat. Curry’s father, Bishop Curry IV, told CBS News the device draws on GPS technology to determine when the vehicle is stopped. “It then detects if a child is in that car seat, and if the car is heating up. If all of those things are taking place it blows cold air on the child through an internal cooling system.” Related: 13-year-old Maanasa Mendu invents groundbreaking clean energy device that costs just $5 But 11-year-old Bishop also wanted to include a means for the child to be rescued in his design. If the fan does turn on, an antenna in Oasis will use Wi-Fi to notify the parents. Should they fail to respond, the device will then inform local authorities, using GPS to provide the child’s location. Curry IV is an engineer with Toyota , and has pitched the idea to the company. They were super impressed, so they footed the bill to send both father and son to a conference to pitch the idea to car seat manufacturers. Several have indicated interest, and Curry IV started a GoFundMe campaign earlier this year to raise money for legal and manufacturing fees. He recently posted an update saying they’ve turned in paperwork to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and are waiting to hear back. So far the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $45,000 of a $20,000 goal. You can donate here . + Help Bishop End Hot Car Deaths on GoFundMe Via Bishop B. Curry IV on GoFundMe and CBS News Images via screenshot ( 1 , 2 )

Comments Off on MIT researchers pioneer affordable way to turn waste heat into power

Steel and glass manufacturing generates large amounts of waste heat that’s not easy to capture – devices that do the job are either prohibitively expensive or don’t work in the requisite high temperatures. But a team of three Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have created a device that solves both issues at once. The high-temperature liquid thermoelectric device, which converts industrial waste heat into energy , could be a game-changer. Converting waste heat to electricity is often accomplished through solid-state thermoelectric devices, but at certain high temperatures they just don’t work, or are so expensive they can’t be used in much other than spaceships. In contrast, the MIT liquid thermoelectric device could pave the way for affordable conversion of waste heat into electricity. It includes a molten compound of tin and sulfur much cheaper than the solid-state bismuth telluride found in many commercial thermoelectric devices. That material is around 150 times more expensive than tin sulfide per cubic meter, according to MIT, and it only operates at temperatures of around 500 degrees Celsius. Related: Tiny thermophotovoltaic device harvests energy from infrared wavelengths The new MIT device, built by graduate student Youyang Zhao, operates at temperatures of 950 to 1,074 degrees Celsius. And as he changed the temperatures in which the device operated, he saw no significant performance drop. The researchers, however, don’t think most glass or steel plants would adopt the device simply to save the planet. But assistant professor of metallurgy Antoine Allanore, of whose research group Zhao is a part, said they might be interested if heat management could enable them to operate at even higher temperatures – allowing them to increase productivity or lengthen the lifespan of their equipment. According to MIT, thanks to the molten compounds in the new device, managing heat at high temperatures is now a possibility. The two scientists were joined by recent PhD graduate Charles Rinzler for a paper published by ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology . Via MIT News Images via Youyang Zhao and Denis Paiste/Materials Processing Center

Comments Off on Norway’s Fleinvaer cabins offer the ultimate in off-grid living on a remote island

These isolated cabins built on a remote island in Norway take off-grid living to new heights. Located on the country’s Arctic archipelago and only reachable by ferry, the Fleinvaer Cabins offer the ultimate in solitude. The retreat consists of four cabins designed for sleeping, plus bonus accommodations in a nearby cave. The island’s cluster of cabins are supported by four dedicated structures that house a kitchen, studio, sauna, and a bath. The rest of the cabins are built for sleeping. For those looking to go a step further into nature, there’s also a cave near the sauna’s pier that can be slept in. Technically, the cabins offer enough space for 12 people, but according to the Fleinvaer website, the experience is really designed for those looking for true solitude, “Here are no shops, and no cars. Here is no stress, and no dangerous animals.” Related: Rugged eco-friendly cabins offer off-grid lodging in Norway’s wilderness To get to the island of Fleinvaer, guests must take a ferry from downtown Bodø. Basic necessities like food are organized with the hosts before arrival because there are absolutely no shops on the island . Additionally, guests are encouraged to pack few items – just some wool clothing and a pair of shorts. The cabins are also a welcome retreat for creatives . Every year, the island hosts six, week-long “Artist in Residences” programs in collaboration with the Nordland county council’s culture department. + Fordypningsrommet Fleinvaer Cabins Via Uncrate Photography by Kathrine Sørgård & Fredrik Asplin via Fordypningsrommet

Henning Larsen Architects has won a competition for Toronto’s new 500,000-square-foot Etobicoke Civic Centre. Designed in collaboration with Adamson Associates Architects and PMA Landscape Architects , the winning proposal will have a focus on sustainability and feature municipal offices, public gathering spaces, a library branch, recreation center, and a child care center. Build Toronto and the City of Toronto hosted the design competition and evaluated proposals on their environmental sustainability, flexibility, community identity, and pedestrian scale. The competition jury commended the winning team’s proposal for its “flexibility and an iconic design well suited for the community.” The winning design also demonstrates an ability to achieve a net zero target and builds on the context and history of the Etobicoke community. Related: Designers float plan to cover Toronto’s CN Tower with clip-on condos The proposed Etobicoke Civic Centre will break down the development’s large scale using different sized building volumes that help preserve a comfortable pedestrian-friendly scale. Site analysis and local thermal studies also informed building placement to protect against the summer solar heat gain and winter winds. Comfortable microclimates are improved further with green roofs and landscaping, and the total effect will prolong the comfortable outdoor season by up to five weeks, said Henning Larsen Architects. Via ArchDaily Images via Henning Larsen Architects

Comments Off on Scientists turn eggshells into eco-friendly data-storage devices

Walk on eggshells? Not these scientists. A team from Guizhou Institute of Technology is working on a way to turn ground-up bits of the breakfast byproduct into a data-storage device that could pave the way for eco-friendlier computers. The device itself uses something called resistive random-access memory , ReRAM for short, a type of non-volatile, high-density yet energy-sipping memory system that could soon supplant your flash drive as a data silo. Instead of storing a charge, like conventional memory does, ReRAM works by creating electrical resistance across a dielectric solid-state material that transmits voltage without conducting it, essentially serving as an insulator. As it turns out, eggshells have a “large resistive-switching memory,” as the scientists noted in the February 2017 issue of Current Applied Physics , where they published their findings. But don’t start sticking eggs in your USB port just yet. To create the device, they first pulverized the shells for hours into an ultra-fine, nanoscale powder, which they then dissolved in solution. Related: Scientists invent the world’s first microchip powered by biological systems The resulting paste, coated onto a substrate, became the electrolyte portion of a memory chip, that is, the part that carries the electrical charge. Whatever they did worked. The eggshell-based device was able to write 100 bits of binary code into its memory before it broke down. It’ll take some tinkering before the device can stack up against materials that can manage billions of cycles, but the promise is there. “This discovery provides for the possibility of an environmentally friendly, low-cost and sustainable material application in the next-generation nonvolatile date storage device,” the scientists said. Egg -citing. Via New Scientist Photos by Kullez and Bruce Guenter

Comments Off on NatureZap uses light, instead of pesticides, to rid your garden of weeds

As concern mounts over the amount of pesticides we use, one company is pursuing a promising alternative to harmful herbicides . Global Neighbor has developed NatureZap , a device said to kill weeds with heat and light . Now the U.S. Air Force is testing out the device. NatureZap is an innovative wand-like device that shoots out a beam of heat and blue light to kill weeds. According to Global Neighbor president Jon Jackson, the device gets “about a 70 to 80 percent die-back without regrowth.” The device won’t hurt wildlife or people, and runs on batteries. Global Neighbor says the device will run for a little over a half hour before it needs to be recharged, and that weeds zapped with NatureZap die as soon as three days later. Related: Two new lawsuits claim Monsanto herbicide caused cancer As part of the Sikes Act , the military must reduce pesticide use. 412th Civil Engineering Group scientist Danny Reinke, who works at Edwards Air Force Base in California, worked on NatureZap with Global Neighbor. Reinke said NatureZap could assist the military as they work to meet Sikes Act requirements. Central State University scientist Cadance Lowell has also run independent tests on NatureZap. She presented research at the annual meeting of the Weed Science Society of America back in February, and said NatureZap works as well as glyphosate (used infamously by Monsanto) on ragweed. Plants with deeper roots like dandelions may be more difficult to exterminate with NatureZap, but Lowell said if the device is used a few times it can ultimately kill off those plants as well. Center for Biological Diversity scientist Nathan Donley told TakePart, “It if truly works, I think it will be very successful, because change cannot come quickly enough in the world of pest management. Most weed-killing chemicals in use today have been around for more than 50 years. Innovation is nonexistent in this realm.” Global Neighbor has received close to $900,000 via the U.S. government’s program Small Business Innovation Research . A few different versions of the product are available on Amazon; the NatureZap DE Cordless currently goes for $199. + Global Neighbor Via TakePart Images via screenshot and Global Neighbor

Comments Off on Microsoft Bra Sends A Text If You’re Stressed and Eating Too Much

Normally we’re thrilled to see a new concept for wearable technology, but the newest offering from Microsoft has us scratching our heads in disbelief. The software giant recently unveiled a sensor-equipped bra that monitors a woman’s mood and stress levels. It uses this info to detect when a woman might be prone to stress-eating, and sends messages to the potential overeater through a smartphone app. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Why only women?! Men can just as easily be emotional eaters, yet the Microsoft research didn’t include so much as one male participant. Is this device sexist in addition to unnecessary? Keep reading before you decide. READ MORE> Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: EKG bra , emotional eating , how to stop emotional eating , microsoft , stress eating , wearable technology , weight monitoring device